Teacher-Child Interaction Training Research Articles

Teacher–Child Interaction Training—Group Coaching (TCIT-GC): removing barriers to advancing classroom behavioral health

PurposeThe Teacher–Child Interaction Training program (TCIT) is an evidence-based intervention that coaches effective strategies for managing disruptive classroom behavior (Garbacz et al., 2014). However, its widespread implementation is limited due to its costly and time-consuming model of delivery. This pilot study investigated whether the Teacher–Child Interaction Training- Group Coaching (TCIT-GC), a briefer, cost-effective adaptation of TCIT, would be effective in improving classroom climate, student behavior and professional quality of life among educators.Design/methodology/approachTCIT-GC is a remote, manualized, 8-week adaptation of TCIT. Participants included 41 educators representing both public and private K-12 schools from 11 public school districts. TCIT-GC comprised eight synchronous group sessions via Zoom, four Didactic sessions and four Consultation/Coaching sessions for trainer feedback, paired with asynchronous skill practice. This contrasted with the fully synchronous, one-on-one, in vivo coaching format of traditional TCIT. Participants practiced applying skills with students between Zoom sessions and documented the effectiveness of their acquired skills across various measures.FindingsResults of pre- and post-training comparisons showed significant improvements in reported classroom functioning, positive student behaviors, perceived effectiveness of TCIT-GC skills and significant reductions in problematic student behaviors and discipline use. Findings showed significant improvement in compassion satisfaction. No significant changes in levels of other ProQOL scales were observed.Originality/valueDisruptive student behavior takes a toll on the educational experience of misbehaving students, their classmates and educators. Results of this pilot study supported TCIT-GC as a feasible and promising behavioral health model that warrants further study.

The effect of Universal Teacher–Child Interaction Training on Hispanic teachers’ sense of self-efficacy in early childhood education and care settings

Disparities exist in the availability of high-quality early childhood education and care settings (ECEC) across communities within the United States. Teachers have an imperative role in fostering children’s socioemotional development; however, when the classroom climate deteriorates due to disruptive behavior, meeting these emotional and learning needs becomes more difficult. Dealing with challenging behaviors can lead to emotional exhaustion which is directly linked to a decrease in teacher sense of efficacy. Teacher–Child Interaction Training-Universal (TCIT-U) targets teachers’ skills to provide quality interactions and decrease child behavior problems. Despite evidence that teacher sense of self-efficacy can inhibit negative teaching practices, a lack of research has explored this construct as related to TCIT-U. The current study is a randomized, wait-list control study measuring the change of teachers’ sense of self-efficacy after participating in TCIT-U, and the first known of its kind. The study included mostly Hispanic (96.4%) teachers (N = 84) of ECEC programs across 13 unique sites serving 900 children ages 2–5 years from low-income, urban areas. Results from inferential statistics and hierarchical linear regression tests demonstrated TCIT-U as an effective intervention to improve teachers’ sense of efficacy in classroom management, instructional strategies, and student engagement. In addition, this study contributes to the effectiveness of TCIT-U as an in-service training which targets teacher communication skills for teachers with diverse backgrounds in ECEC settings with mostly dual language learners.

Universal Teacher-Child Interaction Training in early childhood special education: A cluster randomized control trial

Growing evidence suggests that Teacher-Child Interaction Training-Universal (TCIT-U) is effective for increasing teachers' use of strategies that promote positive child behavior, but more rigorous research with larger, diverse samples is needed to understand the effects of TCIT-U on teacher and child outcomes in early childhood special education. Using a cluster randomized control trial, we evaluated the effects of TCIT-U on (a) teacher skill acquisition and self-efficacy and (b) child behavior and developmental functioning. Teachers in the TCIT-U group (n = 37) exhibited significantly greater increases in positive attention skills, increased consistent responding, and decreased critical statements relative to teachers in the waitlist control group (n = 36) at post and 1-month follow-up (d's range from 0.52 to 1.61). Teachers in the TCIT-U group also exhibited significantly fewer directive statements (d's range from 0.52 to 0.79) and greater increases in self-efficacy compared to waitlist teachers at post (d's range from 0.60 to 0.76). TCIT-U was also associated with short-term benefits for child behavior. Frequency (d = 0.41) and total number of behavior problems (d = 0.36) were significantly lower in the TCIT-U group than in the waitlist group at post (but not follow-up), with small-to-medium effects. The waitlist group, but not the TCIT-U group, demonstrated an increasing trend in number of problem behaviors over time. There were no significant between-group differences in developmental functioning. Current findings build support for the effectiveness of TCIT-U as universal prevention of behavior problems with an ethnically and racially diverse sample of teachers and children, including children with developmental disabilities. Implications for implementation of TCIT-U in the early childhood special education setting are discussed.

The Effect of Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT) on Children who are Exhibiting Disruptive Behaviors within the Classroom Setting

The current study examined the impact of Teacher- Child Interaction Training (TCIT) on child behavior, teacher-student relationships, and teacher satisfaction within a general preschool setting utilizing a three-tiered approach. Participants included three preschool children without clinical diagnoses. A single subject nonconcurrent multiple baseline design was utilized across participants. Results suggest that TCIT is effective in reducing disruptive behaviors within the classroom and successful in improving the teacher-student relationship. TCIT is also considered socially valid based on teacher responses, which indicate that the intervention is acceptable and feasible within the general preschool classroom setting.

Universal Teacher-Child Interaction Training in Early Special Education: A Pilot Cluster-Randomized Control Trial

Using a pilot matched-pairs cluster-randomized control trial, we evaluated the acceptability and preliminary outcomes of universal Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT-U) with students with disabilities in early special education programs. Twelve classrooms (clusters) were paired by age and type and then randomly assigned within pairs to either TCIT-U (81 students, 20 teachers) or wait-list control (63 students, 16 teachers) with services as usual. We analyzed the effects of TCIT-U on (a) teachers’ skills acquisition via masked observational coding and (b) students’ behavior and developmental functioning via teacher questionnaires. For child-directed interaction skills, teachers receiving TCIT-U exhibited significantly greater increases in behavior descriptions and labeled praise than teachers who did not receive TCIT-U at posttreatment and follow-up. No significant group differences were observed in use of teacher-directed interaction skills. Qualitative data from teachers expanded on these findings, suggesting that teachers found child-directed interaction skills more acceptable than teacher-directed interaction skills. Teachers receiving TCIT-U reported small but significant improvements in student behavior problems and socioemotional functioning at posttreatment and follow-up, as compared to wait-list students. We discuss considerations for future implementation and tailoring of TCIT for young students with disabilities, which may have positive impacts on future cohorts of students beyond teachers’ initial training.

Incorporating evidence-based behavioral teacher training into Head Start mental health consultation: Description and initial outcomes of a large-scale program.

Development of a multicomponent mental health consultation program for a countywide Head Start program is described. The consultation program incorporates strategies from the evidence-based practice, Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT). Through large group professional development trainings before the school year, comprehensive feedback reports based on observations, and in-class coaching via modeling and performance feedback on teachers' use of TCIT skills, the consultation program served 55 Head Start classrooms with 789 children. Outcome data are presented on teachers' improvement in TCIT skill use and the relative effectiveness of two coaching methods (i.e., modeling and performance feedback) used during consultation. Results from multilevel modeling analyses indicated that teachers improved in the use of multiple observed TCIT skills between the initial and midyear assessment (i.e., increased frequency of labeled praises, reflections, behavioral descriptions, and commands that were complied with; decreased frequency of commands that children did not have an opportunity to comply with). Additionally, teachers who received coaching in the form of performance feedback, in comparison to modeling, exhibited greater gains in the frequency of labeled praises and commands that resulted in compliance. Discussion focuses on implementation of evidence-based practice in large-scale preventative early interventions, study limitations, and directions for future research.

A Pilot Study of Teacher-Child Interaction Training - Universal in Head Start

A Pilot Study of Teacher-Child Interaction Training - Universal in Head Start

Universal TCIT Improves Teacher–Child Interactions and Management of Child Behavior

One avenue for improving children’s socio-emotional competence and classroom behavior is by improving the quality of early teacher–child interactions. Universal Teacher–Child Interaction Training (TCIT-U), adapted from Parent Child Interaction Therapy, is a school-based prevention program in which teachers are taught to use the principles of learning and behavior management in the classroom to increase positive interactions and to reduce problem behaviors in young children. The current study advanced prior research by investigating TCIT-U’s effectiveness with English language learners and in a rural public school setting. We examined the direct effects on teachers’ and children’s observed behavior, and the durability of teachers’ skill use in the next school year. In the present study, changes in teacher and child behavior were analyzed within a multiple baseline design across two classrooms with five teachers and 39 preschool children. Teacher and child behavior were measured through behavioral observations and a standardized teacher rating scale. Results revealed that teachers increased their use of positive attention and behavior management skills with intervention, and these changes remained stable during follow-up. Further, improvements in children’s behavior were detected by significant changes in post-TCIT teacher ratings on a strengths-based measure. Observed disruptive behavior displayed decreasing trends during intervention for children nominated by their teachers as having behavioral concerns, although the overlap and variability in the data limited convincing evidence of an intervention effect. Finally, teachers reported high satisfaction with the program. This study supports TCIT-U’s use as an intervention to increase positive interactions between teachers and students and as a universal prevention program for behavior problems in preschool classrooms.

The Effects of Teacher-Child Interaction Training on Teacher’s Positive Interaction and Children’s Disruptive behavior

The Effects of Teacher-Child Interaction Training on Teacher’s Positive Interaction and Children’s Disruptive behavior

Teacher Child Interaction Training (TCIT): Randomized Control Trial

Teacher Child Interaction Training (TCIT): Randomized Control Trial

A Pilot Study of Universal Teacher–Child Interaction Training at a Therapeutic Preschool for Young Maltreated Children

Young children are disproportionately exposed to maltreatment but are underrepresented in research on effective treatments. Universal Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT-U), developed from Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, may be especially appropriate for maltreated children as they often experience caregiver disruptions which pose challenges to traditional parent-child treatment. Furthermore, research suggests that teachers can play an important role for children who lack positive caregiving experiences. The current study examined the effectiveness of TCIT-U versus treatment-as-usual (TAU) at a therapeutic preschool for youth exposed to maltreatment. Thirty-eight children (2–5 years old) and eight teachers from four classrooms participated in the study. Teacher behaviors were observed and coded at baseline, mid-treatment, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. Teachers reported on children’s behavior and social-emotional skills at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. TCIT-U teachers demonstrated substantial increases in positive attending skills (PRIDE [Praise, Reflection, Imitation, Description, and Enjoyment] skills) and decreases in negative talk and questions during intervention phases, and these skills were maintained at follow-up. In addition, children in the TCIT-U classrooms demonstrated a significantly greater increase in overall social-emotional skills by post-treatment than children in the TAU classrooms, and effect sizes were moderate for all child outcomes. Findings provide preliminary support for TCIT-U’s effectiveness in a therapeutic setting for children exposed to maltreatment.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: current perspectives.

Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an empirically supported intervention originally developed to treat disruptive behavior problems in children between the ages of 2 and 7 years. Since its creation over 40 years ago, PCIT has been studied internationally with various populations and has been found to be an effective intervention for numerous behavioral and emotional issues. This article summarizes progress in the PCIT literature over the past decade (2006–2017) and outlines future directions for this important work. Recent PCIT research related to treatment effectiveness, treatment components, adaptations for specific populations (age groups, cultural groups, military families, individuals diagnosed with specific disorders, trauma survivors, and the hearing-impaired), format changes (group and home-based), teacher–child interaction training (TCIT), intensive PCIT (I-PCIT), treatment as prevention (for externalizing problems, child maltreatment, and developmental delays), and implementation are discussed.

Collaborating with Public School Partners to Implement Teacher–Child Interaction Training (TCIT) as Universal Prevention

This study expands on prior work investigating the transferability of parent–child interaction therapy, an efficacious treatment program targeting parents of children with disruptive behavior problems, for use as a universal preventive intervention targeting classroom teachers. Using a case study design, Teacher–Child Interaction Training (TCIT) was implemented sequentially with two groups of teachers (N = 20) and 169 preschool and kindergarten students in a public school setting. This study served as a pilot test for the feasibility of having local school staff independently implement TCIT, following training and participation in an initial delivery of TCIT conducted by a research team. Controlling for teacher effects, teacher ratings of children’s total protective factor scores (TPF) significantly increased and ratings of behavior concerns (BC) significantly decreased over the course of the intervention. Boys and students qualifying for special education received lower TPF and higher BC ratings at baseline, yet interactions with time were nonsignificant, suggesting that all students improved according to teacher ratings across time. Observational data showed that teachers in both researcher-delivered and local staff-delivered groups substantially increased in their use of positive attention skills following training. Intervention effects, as well as program implementation factors (e.g., teacher attendance, homework completion), were comparable across researcher and school-based staff deliveries, suggesting that school staff were able to implement TCIT effectively. We discuss future research directions for TCIT implementation and development, as well as practical considerations for partnering with school systems.

Teacher-Child Interaction Training: A Pilot Study With Random Assignment

Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT), adapted from Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), is a classroom-based program designed to provide teachers with behavior management skills that foster positive teacher-student relationships and to improve student behavior by creating a more constructive classroom environment. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate TCIT in more classrooms than previously reported in the literature, with older children than previously reported, using random assignment of classrooms to TCIT or to a no-TCIT control condition and conducting all but two sessions within the classroom to enhance feasibility. Participants included 11 kindergarten and first grade classroom teachers and their 118 students from three urban, public schools in Manhattan, with five classrooms randomly assigned to receive TCIT and six to the no-TCIT control condition. Observations of teacher skill acquisition were conducted before, during, and after TCIT for all 11 teachers, and teacher reports of student behavior were obtained at these same time points. Teacher satisfaction with TCIT was assessed following training. Results suggested that after receiving TCIT, teachers increased rates of positive attention to students’ appropriate behavior, decreased rates of negative attention to misbehavior, reported significantly less distress related to student disruptive behavior, and reported high satisfaction with the training program. Our study supports the growing evidence-base suggesting that TCIT is a promising approach for training teachers in positive behavior management strategies and for improving student disruptive behavior in the classroom.

From the Clinics to the Classrooms: A Review of Teacher-Child Interaction Training in Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Prevention Settings

Without intervention, childhood behavioral problems, including aggression and noncompliance, are likely to continue over the lifespan and adversely affect a child’s functioning across several domains. Based on the early emergence of functional impairment and the established negative trajectory of these difficulties, prevention and early intervention programs are critically important. Interventions for disruptive behavior disorders have primarily focused on parent training. However, given the limited access to evidence-based mental health care in many communities and the significant amount of time children spend in school, researchers and clinicians have explored creative ways to provide interventions in the school setting. Increasing attention has been given to prevention efforts. Discussed below are the results of preliminary studies investigating the effectiveness of teacher training in improving behavior management in the classroom. The teacher training is based on the established efficacy of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for young children with disruptive behavior disorders and their families. This paper reviews the various teacher-child interaction training models that have been used in different settings (e.g., Head Start, general education) and includes discussion of adaptations for the classroom and for consideration in future study.

Promoting Positive Interactions in the Classroom: Adapting Parent-Child Interaction Therapy as a Universal Prevention Program

The adaptation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an empirically- supported dyadic parent training intervention, to a preschool seing may provide an opportunity to enhance the well-being of both teachers and children by improving the teacher-child relationship and supplying teachers with effective tools for behavior management. The current article describes the development and implementation of a Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT) program, based on the PCIT model, to a preschool seing serving primarily low-income, urban, ethnic minority youth. We discuss the rationale for applying PCIT as a prevention program, prior research on adaptations of PCIT to educational seings, application of community psychology principles and strategies in adapting PCIT to the classroom, core TCIT program components, evaluation of effectiveness, issues in sustainability, and resources for successfully implementing the program.

Effectiveness of Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT) in a Preschool Setting

This research addressed the need for trained child care staff to support optimal early social-emotional development in urban, low-income, ethnic minority children. We evaluated effectiveness of Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT), an approach adapted from Eyberg's Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). TCIT focuses on increasing preschool teachers' positive attention skills and consistent discipline in order to enhance children's psychosocial functioning and prevent mental health problems. A total of 12 teachers participated in small-group workshop sessions with in vivo coaching on their use of skills in the classroom. A multiple-baseline design across four classrooms (3 teachers each) evaluated effects of training on teacher behaviors during weekly classroom observations. Findings indicated systematic increases in trained skills during intervention, and consumer evaluations showed that the training was rated positively. Our results suggest that TCIT is a promising approach for enhancing positive teacher-child interactions in a preschool setting and should receive further investigation.